Personal Narrative Essay: The Dupage River Trail

Saturday morning. 7 AM. Standing outside in the crisp, cool air, I feel the woodland breeze brush against my skin, and I shudder at its piercing coldness. Obscured by a light haze of mist, my eyes struggle to make out the twisting curves of the DuPage River Trail as it snakes through the grassy terrain and off into the direction of the rising sun. With one hand tightly gripped around the saddle, I place my trusty 24-inch Sun unicycle directly in front of myself. Out of sheer habit, I glance down to double-check that my tire is pumped and that my pedals are tightened. Mounting the unicycle, I feel a soft crunch as the wheel presses into the pavement, and I begin to pedal. With each revolution of the wheel, I gradually pick up speed, even though I can barely travel at the pace of a leisurely jog. Reaching the end of the path, I am greeted by the dull view of an empty parking lot. After a brief rest on a park bench, I take a quick sip of water, turn around, and follow the trail back home—only to repeat the same journey next Saturday.

There are no gorgeous views or interesting

If anything can be said of the meaning of life, it is simply to enjoy it while it lasts. Alone on my one-wheeled oddity, I live through my unicycle rides, experiencing to the fullest what my life has to offer and getting up early in the mornings to push myself even further. Despite knowing that biking or running could easily cover the distance in a fraction of the time, I choose to unicycle because it is where I am happiest. My rides remind me to take advantage of the infinite breadth of opportunities that are available to me, to pursue the experiences that I truly find meaningful, and to make every single moment count. Unicycling allows me to creatively express my individuality, but more importantly, the ability to share this passion with my community brings me closer to the people I